Problem with external DVD

I picked up an external DVD/CD-RW drive by Pany model CF-VDRRT3U. It looks well built and rugged. Has only 1 cable for the USB, no additional power cable needed. The CD reads and writes OK, but the DVD doesn't read. When a DVD is first put in it whirs a few times with the light orange, makes 4 zipping sounds, then stops and the light turns back to green like there is no DVD in it.

Tried on several computers: CF-18 (which it is made for), CF-T2, and my desktop. Tried it using a PCcard-to-USB 2.0 adapter with external power. Tried several movie DVDs and a data DVD+R. Windows Explorer and PowerDVD show it as an empty drive. Tried a lens cleaner CD and a few puffs of compressed air.

Oh yeah, the seller said it checked out good before shipping and he used it recently to load an OS Restore DVD.

Any ideas what could be wrong with the DVD player function???

 

My wager... urm... for those DVDs, did you feed that "region 1 gremlin" after midnight?

 

As tough nut said it could be a region issue. Then again your supplier could be mistaken

 

if its spinning up and down, and taking an age to not read a dvd, then im guessing that the laser has had it... the mechanism isnt managing to focus properly...

you should be able to see the region in devicemanager, most drives region is hard coded in firmware and can be changed 5 times

 

I think we're getting somewhere. I looked in Device Manager, one of the tabs was DVD Region. It was "not set" and said it had five changes remaining. So I picked United States and it set to Region 1.

But nothing has changed, it still won't read a DVD.

 

Have you tried the obvious; OS Restore CD/DVD, Windoze setup CD, etc... anything bootable (known good with other systems/drives) and see if it loads. If it still doesn't read... urm... get a cotton bud and clean the optic lens. I'm only guessing but no harm trying... before you fling it out the window!

 

Did you tried with both DVD +R and DVD -R ?
some olther models are only working with 1 format

 

I tried a DVD+ in the internal DVD player on my cf-29 and it would not read it, but had no problems with a DVD-

 

This may be a shot in the dark... But since it gets its power AND data flow from one USB connector... Make sure that the connectors are clean as possible. The least slightest corrosion/resistance will kill you.

 

I have the same model and mine works with dvd-r dvd+r movies and data and store purchased dvd's



Alex

 

My vote is the laser is going. it is easier for it to read the cd's but is having problems focusing on the dvd's. I think they need a tighter focus.

Like Alex said that drive is able to read most if not all dvd formats according to the specs

 

Spring -

Your drive is junk.

Any optical drive which has DVD functionality OF ANY SORT, be it read or read/write, AND CD/CDROM functionality, actually has TWO COMPLETE INDEPENDENT LASER SUBSYSTEMS in it. They share a common outer lens/focusing system, but the laser subsystems are different due to the different wavelength needed for the disc types, and for the ability to focus on a multilayer disc for DVDs.

As a result, you CAN have a failure on EITHER subsystem; I've seen ones that would read DVDs fine but not CDs and vice-versa. You have a MUCH higher failure rate in laptop drives due to the high percentage of cheap Chinese componentry and greater physical demands of being used in a portable environment, but I've seen the same failures in both Desktop and Laptop optical drives.

mnem<~~~Failure-resistant~~~<<<

 

Thanks for the help guys. Mnem's explanation fits the symptoms. At least the CD part seems to work fine, helpful for loading stuff on drive-less models like CF-18 and T2.

BTW seller offered a 50% refund or return, I took the refund and only paid $15 for a decent CD unit .....